Then you came to the wrong blog. 

I started my day with this hope that today would be a marvel of accomplishment. I'd write magical words, I'd clean my house in a frenzy that would make the blitzkrieg look slow, and I'd have dinner ready to eat so son #2 could have a nice, home cooked meal before leaving for his TSA trip to Florida. 

Instead, I stepped in dog pooh, and then trailed it from my dining room table to my coffee maker. 

By the time I scrubbed the floor and my slippers, son #1 was awake and wanting breakfast; son #3 wanted me to call Microsoft and see if he could get his gamer account back (seems he got locked out after making one too many attempts to get in with bogus email accounts like jimjimminy and hotman65);  and then comes the text from the hubs reminding me to check on son #4's order with Amazon.

Crapola. Literally.

Son #1...have a bagel; number #3...later, when you get back from football, I promise; and son #4? Seriously...I would  kick his cute little hiney, but it may be partly my fault.

I guess while I'm blogging or writing, I don't pay one-hundred percent attention to questions and comments of the living people in the room. 

According to my kids, Conner (boy #4) got permission to shop and purchase a Nintendo DS 3-D on Amazon while I was busy blogging. Here I thought we were talking about pancakes, but like they say, I get distracted. 

So yesterday, the games (which I guess I also approved and assume he paid for) arrived, but no DS. Conner gets worried and asks, "Mom, my seller has a 100% negative rating, do you think that matters?"

Oy Vey.

New rule. 

No asking Mom questions when she is hypnotized by the glare of the computer screen.

Therefore...due to the many hiccups, distractions, duties and obligations...I have nothing.

You want profound, you want funny?  Might I suggest stopping by Kristin Lamb's  blog?  Her rant on body dysmorphia is as funny as it is tragically true.

Might I also suggest being brave, standing up as a writing contender and entering  WRiTE CLUB?

Can you take a hit? Stick your writing chin out there and see if you can come out on top?

Time is almost up. You have until June 30th to get your entry in for the first round of judging.


I'd also like to take a minute from my busy, exotic life filled with dog crap and kids and say thanks to the truly exotic, living in France, eating steamed veggies, and running in marathons, Ms. Elise Fallson for this award.

It's so pretty and I love the sentiment.


Thanks Elise!
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, for sure.
Just ask Aretha and Annie ;)

And I'm passing this award along to Sheena-kay Graham and Livia Peterson. Really, I can't think of a single blogging chick who isn't worthy, but these two gals always take it to the next level!

I'm back! You missed me. right? 

Well, I missed you guys! Pause for hugs?

While I was vacationing...I did do a little work. 

While chilling on the beach, I got to work with the talented Lindsay Anne Kendal on the book cover for "Fate Intended". 

Okay, so it wasn't really work...it was total fun!

Wanna see it?

Of course you do! 

But first...I have some awards people were kind enough to give me and I've been so busy, I've not had the time to share them.

Bad, I know, but at least it's not as smelly as my laundry pile. 

Thanks to Suzy Turner for the Liebster Award. The Liebster has rules, which I will shamelessly bend. 

1. My kids. Even when I want to beat the tar out of them...they make me happy

2. My husband. For an anal retentive, obsessive compulsive comic book fanatic...he's pretty fun to hang out with.

3. Writing. I may not be the best; I may never sell out of the thousands, but it's my therapy and my bliss.

4. Friends. Online and offline...friends are my life line. 

5. Faith. Belief in a higher power who I have full trust in keeps me balanced in an off-kilter world. 

Now to pass these gems on...

The Liebster...how about my long time buddy, Jay Mims. 

The Sweetest Blogger...Celeste Holloway

The How to be Happy...Tammy Theriault

Now, about that cover...

*On a bright note...amongst the trash and requests for cash was an autographed copy of Lisa Regan's new book, "Abberation". Now that's something to be happy about :)

Now, Elizabeth mentioned a few weeks back that she liked Irish Green, so that's the one I'm going to tell you about. 

It started as an experiment. I'd been watching Notting Hill - have you ever seen it? Well, there's a scene where Hugh Grant's character is walking along a street as the seasons change to denote the passing of time. It's very effective, and I wondered how easy that would be to do in a short story. 

Ta-da! Irish Green was born. Sometimes my brain is stupidly simple.

Gypsy is the person I could have turned into if I hadn't had some wonderful friends in my life. She's a loner, she likes to be alone because she's not keen on the way other people treat each other, but she also recognises she's missing out. She goes to the student union bar just to have contact with people and she lives in hope that the next kind word will be genuine.

Fun fact: I haven't given the other character in this story a name. This happens quite a lot, I've noticed - I either have the name straight away, or they don't get one at all. Names can be quite cumbersome sometimes.

SPOILER ALERT: This is probably one of my most traditional love stories, because everyone is still alive at the end of the story.


Another fun fact: I only realised when I was taking this photo of the original story, that it started life as a flash piece... Those two pages, with the very generous margins, were the entire story!








About Annalisa
I live in Cornwall, with a good supply of beaches and moorland right on my doorstep. I live with my husband, two boys, a dog and a cat. Despite my location. I neither surf nor sail, and have never had any inclination to try. I much prefer walking along the beach and listening to the waves crashing over rocks. For this reason, I really love the beach in the winter!

Buy That Sadie Thing here (this link should take you direct to your local Amazon)
Follow Annalisa here, or Like her here
Read her blog here

The only problem is, she's not sure if she's really the girl Lance is into, or if, like every other guy she knows, it's really Amber he's after. One thing is clear,
if Mabel wants to be the lead in her own love story, she needs to start acting like it.

This is the blurb for Rachel's  novella, "Secondary Characters".

I just finished reading the story...and I really fell for it.

And it's not because it's well written with wonderful characters and a super intriguing premise.

Nope, none of that.

I have a very special reason for loving this story.

Lance (the MC) is a tackle. (for the non-American footballers, a tackle is a lineman...a dude in the trench who takes the hits and abuse and very rarely gets any glory) 

And I'm partial to lineman.

Are you shocked?

You've probably seen this before, but I never miss an an opportunity to show off my works of art! My babies: Cole, Conner, and Carter...all have done their line time.

Nuff said?

Go buy the book...go read the book...give the man from the trench his moment in the sun while he seeks his HEA!!

Find Rachel

Goodreads

Facebook
*On a personal note~ I'm leaving today for vacation. I know you'll miss me, but I'm leaving you in good hands. The ever lovely and talented Ms. Annalisa Crawford will be here as a guest poster. Until then, I'll be soaking up some salt water and hiding from the sun's rays. 

I'll bring back pics, unless I look fat in them...then I'll burn them and make up some story about my memory card going bad or something. Heck with memories when you have vanity to consider, right?

I'm suffering severe insecurities. 

It's bathing suit season and yesterday was the day to face the three way mirror...you know the one...the one that works like a  magnifying glass when paired with the glare of the florescent lights. I keep suggesting skinny mirrors to store managers, but none see the genius of my proposal!

So, we deal with the fat mirrors.

Sigh. See? Not a happy day. 

BUTT!! 

We will not despair...I bring you a funny.

I found this a long time ago on QueryShark. Readers were asked to take a stab at writing queries and the subsequent rejections. This gem was in the comments. It has become one of my favorite pick-me-ups. It's hilarious. I wish  knew what author to credit, but alas, I do not. 

Enjoy...

J.C. knows his buddy is about to turn him in to the authorities on a trumped-up charge, and pretty soon he’s going to end up nailed to a tree – but first he’s going to party.

I am that I am.Thanks be to Me for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

See? rejections happen to everyone!

                                                                             

Before you go-

Want a chance to have your work looked over by industry pros?

Of course you do!

And all you have to do is put your dukes up and knock out the competition.

Easy peasy, right?

GO HERE for info and sign ups! 

The characters are good; the story is unique; and the setting makes the imagination hum. All that goodness aside, this book touched me at a spiritual level also. I won't give away the plot. But I will say this is the kind of story that keeps you actively discussing and considering the what-ifs from the central theme of the story. If our maker gives us talents, but also trusts us with free will, what path would we choose? What if Hitler's charisma was used for good and not evil? Ted Bundy's genius used to save lives rather than end them. Meadow is one of the chosen. She is gifted beyond normal human levels, so now good and evil battle to win her soul...though ultimately, the choice is hers.

Buy Sebastian Falls    Follow   Celeste

But before you go...let's give some stuff away!